Why does this sound familiar...?
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:31 am
Moon believed he was chosen by Jesus Christ to continue the work of establishing an ideal world of peace and harmony.
From 1961 until recently, he oversaw mass weddings at which thousands were matched with spouses they sometimes had just met and who were often from different countries.
One of the largest ceremonies, held in Seoul's Jamsil Stadium in 1992, saw 30,000 couples simultaneously tie the knot.
Critics have vilified his ministry as "heretical" and accused it of indoctrinating its followers - often described as Moonies.
Born to a farming family in 1920 in what is now North Korea, Moon founded the Unification Church in 1954 and built it into a global religious movement that now claims some three million members.
As the church rose to prominence in the 70s and 80s, it spawned a parallel multi-billion dollar business empire encompassing dozens of firms involved in construction, machinery, food, education, the media and even a professional football club.
Its media holdings include the Washington Times and the United Press International news agency, and it also dominates the fishing and distribution industry supplying sushi outlets in the US.
Sky News